AEW Dynamite Review - July 1, 2026

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

AEW World Champion MJF def. Mark Briscoe

Since the outcome was so obvious (especially after that backstage segment with MJF, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay that started the show), I'm glad this was slotted as the opener instead of the main event. They had a hell of a match, and Briscoe gave it his all as expected, but I could have done without the blood. I just didn't think it was necessary in this case. The post-match exchange between MJF and Kenny Omega set up Omega's big decision for the end of the night.

The Don Callis Family Attacked Andrade El Idolo

I thought we'd have to wait a little longer to get Andrade breaking away from The Don Callis Family, so I'm happy it happened at Forbidden Door. Andrade is going to get over huge as a babyface, not to mention he was already getting over in that role before he turned. Lance Archer, Brian Cage and Jake Doyle laid out Andrade here, which is weird because they're three of the lesser-important members. I'm okay with it if it leads to him beating one if not all of them before he faces MJF.

AEW TNT Champion Kevin Knight def. ROH World Television Champion Lio Rush (ROH World Television Championship Was Not Defended)

Rush continues to get opportunities and it's cool to see considering how over he's gotten with this unique character of his. Of course, he was never going to win, but it wasn't a bad spot for him to be in. This was a quality contest for the time they were allotted. Post-match, Darby Allin demanded a shot at the AEW TNT Championship, only for Knight to decline. I assume they're saving it for All In, but it's possible they have a match before then at Redemption.

Will Ospreay and AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley def. The Swirl

Moxley gave Ospreay an honorary Death Rider patch backstage at the beginning of the show, so does that make Ospreay an official member of the group? I'm fine with him being aligned with them for now, but he definitely doesn't need to be an actual Death Rider. Nonetheless, he and Moxley worked well as partners here in what was a fun sprint with The Swirl, even if it lasted a little longer than it probably needed to.

Jay White Addressed The Dogs

White had the rest of Bang Bang Gang with him. The group feels too bloated at this point, not to mention they have more members than The Dogs do, but White is still a star and this promo proved that. His delivery was excellent and he did an effective job of recapping his history with David Finlay. Ultimately, I want to see him end up in something more significant, but this is a logical use of him for now.

Hikaru Shida def. Kris Statlander, CMLL World Women's Champion Persephone, Queen Aminata, Maika and Harley Cameron in a Survival of the Fittest Match to Win the Vacant AEW TBS Championship (CMLL World Women's Championship Was Not Defended)

AEW has never done a Survival of the Fittest match before (it's a Ring of Honor concept), so I thought this was a creative way to crown a new AEW TBS Champion. The early eliminations were forgettable and it took some time for the match to truly pick up, but it turned into a pretty good match. Persephone cost Statlander against Shida, so I like the idea of those two feuding going forward while Shida is kept busy with the TBS title.

Kenny Omega and AEW World Champion MJF Brawled

It was smart to bookend the show with Omega and MJF building toward their now-official AEW World Championship clash for Beach Break next week. It's not an approach AEW normally takes with their shows and it worked really well here. They even added the stipulation that Omega can no longer challenge for the title if he loses. My only complaint is that they're doing the match before Redemption, unless they plan on doing some sort of non-finish to set up a rematch for the pay-per-view and that's where Omega wins.

Overall Show

AEW doesn't have a strong track record with the post-pay-per-view editions of Dynamite, but this was a hell of a show with several notable developments, specifically in the top title picture. We also have a new TBS champ and we got to hear from White. Moxley and Ospreay vs. The Swirl felt like filler, but at least it was enjoyable. All in all, the road to All In is off to a hot start, and we still have Beach Break to look forward to next week.

SEE MORE: Dynamite Reviews